the music box
by Strife The Dark 152
Summary: "these hands... that could destroy the world... can still make this beautiful thing" shadow x maria.
1. prelude: found

**Yep, I'm making another story without editing my old one, sorry, But I really have idea that if it's not written down, I forget and them my stories are screwed, and I've been busy with finals, another website to write on. Yeah. Busy.**

**THE MUSIC BOX**

Shadow walked along the halls of the space colony ARK, with his arms crossed, and busy in his thoughts, it's been a year sense his memories came back, and everything had been (relatively) peaceful, after he had been with G.U.N he made a deal, that he would be in charge of the ark, end of story, they all agreed, luckily** , **shadow sighed as he walked along the halls he traversed most, without noticing it, he walked into a room with black letters written on it:

MARIA

Shadow sat on the bed, then he was jolted out of his thoughts he jumped up

"Wait, where I am?" he looked around in brief panic, "….Maria…" he walked around the room, the ark dusted itself, but it does not touch anything, nothing was touched, well, a blue and black colored box looked moved, shadow knew this because he went here very often to be in Maria's presence, it seemed where he actually thought he could feel her, he walked over to the box and picked it up gently, it was half black and half blue, with a red line going vertically though the center splitting it in half, it wasn't wood, but metal that was consent with the hardness and feel of wood, grandfather Gerald's invention, he was always making stuff like this, he opened the box, and music flowed out, a simple melody, sounding metallic, yet very good, it was Maria's melody, the song she sang while she worked, on a small turntable made in actual wood was a small figurine, it was himself, dancing with Maria in a full length dress, suddenly shadow found moisture on his legs, he was Crying! The memories surged though him, his earliest memories and those about this music box.

"_grandfather, will shadow ever be, woken up?"_

"_maybe, your my good luck charm so maybe hell activate today"_

…_.. what? Who? Is speaking? That voice… it's not the doctor….or any of the other workers I've heard before…. Its…. Different…. I… like….. that…. Voice…._

"_sir! Sir! The biometric levels are reaching critical! The project may revert! Or self-destruct!" the sound oa alarms_

"_shut it down! Stop it!" _

"_no! grandfather! That would kill him!"_

_That…. Voice… I don't want her to be hurt! LET. ME. OUT! _

_An explosion, then I opened my eyes for the first time_

_Blond…hair…blue… eyes…. Then snapping sounds… then I fall… the girl… isn't that hat there called? Catches me… my head falls onto her shoulder…._

"_its okay, its okay, are you alright?" I move my head slowly to look at her, she had a long, cut gash on her check, the glass! I must of hurt her_

_A dead feeling wells up in my stomach._

_I move my hand up… still feeling weak, and I draw my finger across the cut. A green glow envelops my finger and when I take it off… the scar is gone…_

"_thank you… shadow"_

_Shadow? If that is the name she chose?_

_Very well. I am shadow_

_With my new name I fade into the blackness I was so familiar too_

_But it seemed a little lighter sense last time._


	2. movement one: lies

Shadow was looking out the window at earth. The place Maria always talked about, shadow was at the usual spot at space colony ARK, the viewing room, well… one of many. But shadow reprogrammed it so that only they could come in.

A sanctuary from there hectic lives,

Shadow was constantly going through rigorous training, for all his five years of life he had learned how to fight, shoot a gun, master mathematics, physics, geometry, he put the E=mc2 equation to shame, and computer programming, even swimming! (Well, Maria taught him that, but still) he was the strongest there ever was and will be.

Maria was the same. Even though they both where 13 Maria was as smart as a college student, but even for that she still was hardheaded and brash, and she still was an ordinary 15 year old girl, despite being so smart. And in a space colony

Shadow was getting bored, waiting for Maria, so he activated his rocket shoes and hovered a few feet above ground. The he started to try a new style of fighting, midair fighting, then with a swoosh. The door to their usual spot open, shadow quickly drops to his feet, Maria hated him fighting in their spot.

"Shadow" she drew out his name she gave him. Shadow held back his usual scowl he gave everyone else. But he never was angry at her, why would he be angry now?

"Maria" he drew out her name with a smirk, he copied her voice perfectly.

Another thing the doctor and his workers taught him

"Shadow!" she fumed "stop using my voice!" He knew she hated it, but she looked so cute when she was a pent up, shadow walked up to her and tapped her shoulder

"Okay, okay, what do you want to do today? I'm Shure there's nobody in the pool, the lab guys are done in the shooting range-"

"Let's go see grandfather, okay?" she interrupted him, shadow shrugged

"Alright, to the doctor" he picked Maria up in his arms, bridal style. Maria was taller than him by a bit and shadow never took any notice of it. He walked out the door sideways to avoid hitting her head on the door frame. He hovered up on his rocket skates Then surrounding himself in chaos energy from the chaos force, he said quietly

"Chaos control"

He didn't want Maria to hear his words.

He usually yelled it out loud, but it just seemed right to be quiet

He was right

A listening bug set up for Shadow and Maria in their usual spot popped itself off the wall, and using and anti-gravity rocket, searched for the people it was listening to.

Xxxx

"hello grandfather!" Maria exclaimed as she strolled in through the door to Professor Gerald's room,

"oh! Maria" Gerald spun around from a chair at his worktable, it was a small room, metal dresser, queen size bed, a worktable scattered with spare parts here and there, along with a computer screen, turned off now, but shadow saw a flicker of an image, but he quickly dismissed it,

"what'ca doin?" she asked with the "innocent look"

"Oh, I'm just making another device that will let me tunnel to the center of earth" Gerald replied matter of fact

"What! No way! You must be joking!" she exclaimed

"He is / I am" Shadow saying He is, and Gerald saying I am, they said it at the same time overlapping each other with their "well duh" tones

"Wow! Jinx! Grandfather! You owe shadow three soda cans!" she said with a smile on her face

"What! Why would I give shadow pop! That's insane!" Gerald exclaimed in mock horror

"Hey! I can have pop when I want to! And she did say you're supposed to give them to me!" shadow fought back with fake hurt look they all new was fake.

"Alright, I'll give you three sodas in a bit" the professor moved his hand to the side and a blue box fell of the table, Gerald had a look of horror as the box started to fall, shadow broke into action, whispering a quick "chaos control" under his breath to stop time, he dove forward and time unstopped, a second later as they processed what happened, all three of them, the two humans and the black hedgehog notice that shadow was on his stomach and had caught the box, that and the waste basket next to the table he kept old scraps of paper in was on his head.

"Whew… haha… that was way to close" Maria said with a nervous laugh,

"Yeah, but at least he caught it" Gerald commented

"wow, I'm glad I dived" shadow said with a grunt as he sat up, he then set the box back on the table by tossing it up lightly for it to just make it onto the table. Then shadow still had the bucket on his head, he was frozen

"Ummmmm… Shadow, you okay?" Maria asked

"I-it's stuck" Shadow stuttered quietly, his checks reddening a little bit, "and I-I can't get it off, and I can't see" he said

"wow, shadow, I never would of thought of that happening, imagine that, my greatest creation and the ultimate life form, has his head stuck in a wastebasket" Gerald commented with chuckle

"s-shut up!" shadow stammered again, his cheeks where reddening now to as crimson as his highlights, Maia resisted every urge not to laugh out loud, because it would only hurt shadows feelings, but it was so funny to see him like that

As well as kind of cute

Maria shook the emotion off and ran over to shadow "alright, stay still, I'm going to grab the bucket, and put my foot on your shoulder, you lean forward and I'll pull back"

"Alright" shadow grunted without stammering this time

"Alright, here, we, go!" Maria and shadow started to do their respective things, shadow moving his head forward, and Maria pulling back on the bucket, Gerald sat on the chair with a faint amusement watching his two "kids" work together, he smirked, leaned forward, and using one finger, poked it between the edge of the bucket, and shadows head, with a loud POP, the bucket came loose, shadow's head flew forward and slammed into the metal wall in front of him, Maria flew back and the basket slammed her head

"owowowowowowowowowow!" the both stood up holding their foreheads, Professor Gerald started to laugh

"Now shadow, I guess I'm going to have to give those sodas to Maria then" he said between a laugh, shadow and Maria looked at each other for a second, and then started laughing themselves

XXXXX

Gerald grabbed shadows arm as he was about to walk out of the room and told him to stay inside to talk to him alone, he told Maria to go to "their spot" and he complied after it "Alright, I guessing what was in the box that I was so despaired over it, Shadow, I'll tell you and show you, Maria knows of it already but, here" Gerald took the box and grabbed a key and stuck into the hole, twisted it a few times, then gave it to shadow. "Open it, gently now" shadow did as he was told

"What is this? Is this a trick?" shadow exclaimed, "Music? From this box?" shadow asked, a gentle melody rang out, and a wooden statue painted of a man in brown hair in a white tux dancing with a woman with blond hair in a white dress

"yes, it is a music box, exactly as it is, it's a present I gave my wife, as a wedding gift" tears shone in Gerald's eyes as he took the box from shadow and set it on the dresser, out of harm's way, along with the key "thank you for reminding me, shadow" he said

"Yes, it is a nice music box, though… I guess I've only seen one" he said with an embarrassed smile

"heheh, it's not of much matter, shadow, I just have to ask you a question, and ask a favor as well" grald said matter of fact.

"then what is it" he said, all in serious

"no not that serious! I just want you to answer this: are you keeping up completely with your studies?" the prof. asked

"Yes! Why wouldn't I be" he said with incredulity,

"because the inspector for our group is coming and is giving you an inspection, this" he glanced to his screen touchpad on the table "this Friday, so I want you to study the entire time, and not bother Maria as well, she has a test on Friday as well, but neither of you are supposed to know about it, so do not mention it, at all, got it?"

"vikaishi, kyoju" shadow confirmed in Japanese (translation: understood, professor)

"Good, now go study, I'll tell Maria you had to go study" Shadow nodded solemnly then paced away towards the direction of the shooting range, Gerald leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh,

"this is of dangerous waters, but I must for the sake of my granddaughter, and James, my son in law, and you, Sera, as my daughter and as a mother I know you must understand me, this is for her sake, as well as my own, I regret this decision" he turned to look at the music box

"but this is for the sake of our family, and our life"


	3. movement two: RAGE

**Here's the last one, hope you like it, I listened to Jessica's Lombard's cover on "numb" by Linkin park, AMAZING for shadow X Maria warning: shadow without gloves or shoes**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Shadow had been practicing his heart for so long, his needed no distraction for him to take him away from his work, he had mastered multiple styles and gun accuracy, he shot ahead in all his studies, sleeping only when needing to recharge on his chaos energy and pure exhaustion, he's been doing this sense Monday, and all the scientists were as driven as he was, he plowed through, practicing, practicing, fighting, fighting, sleep, up, fighting, shooting, practicing, he avoided Maria, but he was sure Maria saw a few glimpses of him every now and then.

"Alright, I'm sure you've mastered as much everything I can teach you now, without burning myself out by your training regime you insist on me, sleep, now, the inspector is coming around…. 5 P.M, now sleep" Gerald said in an exasperated tone

"But-"shadow replied

"No buts, sleep before I take that plasma machine gun you were using and shoot at you"

"yes yes!" shadow speeded away from the tired doctor and chaos controlled to his room, he took off his shoes and gloves within a few seconds, he took off his inhibitor rings, to let himself tap into it to give him a deeper rest and after that, he fell on the bed, he tucked himself in, then looked at his hands, black and with the red highlight that ended in a point on the center of the back of his hands, his fingers, as what the humans made him, looked exactly like humans, but that his was black and his had sharp nails, he kept those, just in case a fight needed, he'd fight tooth and nail, **Literally**, for the ones he loved, shadow sighed, the ones he loved…..

Maria….

**XXXXXXXXSHADOWXMARIAXXXXXXXX**

Shadow shot out of bed in a flash as the alarm turned on and in a blur, 2 seconds later he had his shoes, gloves, and all four inhibitor rings, and slapped the alarm off, _"2 seconds, that's sloppy, the training has been hectic but after that, I can relax, for maybe a day, a day with Maria….. Just what I need to say that I'm sorry, and tell her… no, not then, maybe sometime later… but this might be the time…. But for now, let's just focus on the inspection" _shadow practiced all the things he learned during the week, after stretching out, of course, he sighed as he got done with the last bit of information, then looked at the clock, 3:00 P.M two hours, he might as well give a prep talk to Maria, he stepped out of his room and went to Maria's room, he knocked on it, no answer, _"is she not here? Has it started? I'm gonna go look" _shadow walked around and scoured the A.R.K using the gun lifts (amazing thing, horrid mission) the most popular modes of transport, he didn't just see Maria, but every other researcher in the experiment compound, as well as the home district, and the jet pods, the usual room, no one, he looked at a digital clock on the side of the wall, it was 5:00 P.M, shadow didn't care, if anyone wasn't even around, something could not of happened, so the inspection would have been worthless, he finally gave up searching everywhere and went to the last resort, the place he dreaded, the stupid dance hall, it was pretty, yes, but it only reminded of the dances he wasn't allowed too

The dances he wasn't allowed too

"No! that where it is!" shadow was filled with rage as the chaos energy circled him, damn Gerald. Liar. He teleported a bit away from the dance, and he knew what he was right, Gerald is a liar.

The whole place was all spiffed up for a gigantic ballroom dance, the classic music nearly blaring through the thick metal door, shadow wanted do blow those doors in, and to personally beat the crap out of Gerald for tricking him but he decided against it, for he would not physically get revenge on him, he would get it some other way, shadows eyes noticed the air duct by the room, he jumped at the grate and teleported himself inside it (a little x-men there) he crawled through the space, then stopped and looked through the grate and instantly found Maria as he trained himself to spot her in a crowd, she had on a blue full length dress like her usual one (but longer, it was full length, didn't I just say that?) and had her hair designed to look more, angelic, which shadow agreed, his heart stopped painfully at him not being close to her, and then re-started in rage and anger,

Someone was dancing with Maria,

a brown haired boy a little taller than Maria, brown eyes and in a black tux, he said a joke and Maria laughed, her beautiful laugh she only did with him,

HIS Maria.

Being stolen from him.

Gerald was giving her away to some guy.

The reality nearly broke shadow, rage and sadness hit him at once, he wanted to scream, to go and kill the boy, to cry, to run, but shadow was smart, through this torrent is soul held on to one thing that he was GOING to accomplish

He WAS going to get revenge on Gerald for giving her away.

He was going to get Maria back.

And in his head he formed a plan he usually wouldn't have never done ever before now

It was risky, but if played right.

He could get the heart that was rightfully his.

Maria


	4. movement three: Idea

The music box part four: REVENGE

WHY AM I TAKING SO LONG! Grah! I procrastinate, sorry

XXXXXSHADOW'S MUSIC BOXXXXXXX

Shadow's mind was set, he had one word on his mind, REVENGE, REVENGE, REVENGE, REVENGE, as He walked through the halls of space colony A.R.K, shadow had just seen Maria dancing with someone else, and he remembered as an afterthought Gerald was talking to a man who seemed to be an older version of the brown haired guy who is taking to his Maria, well… she wasn't shadow's, but shadow has been with her longer and had dibs!

So, he had to get Maria to like him, because shadow loves her, it was the first time he every truly thought it, so how was he going to make the girl who is dancing with someone else, not him?

He needed to confess, if he was shot down, Shadow laughed at his funny word choice, being shot by the girl he loves, he would have no one else to take that risk, the danger was him breaking his heart, he liked danger, so he was going to confess

"but first….don't I need a present?" shadow asked out loud, in the stories Maria told shadow the man gave the woman a present, like a rose, but a rose is way too old, so what should he pick? No, make, he is going to make something, but what? Something permanent, so what?

"the music box" shadow said out loud, he noticed he was in Gerald's room, looking at the music box he had saved for Gerald, whenever he was thinking deep in thought, he always went to the answer, he liked it.

shadow grabbed the box and took out the bottom, seeing the simple machine, heh, easy to make, he could do it easy, shadow laughed as he walked over to Gerald's workbench, then he saw the machine in its true complexity, he wanted to replicate the song Maria sung when she worked, and it was a minutes long, the complexity for Gerald's music box was only thirty seconds, so he had to double the gear work, find a bedplate, where everything is attached, a turnkey and spring motor, and the cylinder that was big enough for a minute song, a comb for the notes, and the pins that mark the notes, that as well as the box, and all but the comb and the spring had to be bronze for working, the comb and spring would be silver, steel screws, turning pin….

"…..oh god this will be a lot of work" shadow said as he put his head in his hands, he then set the machine back the way it was on the dresser, shadow had the whole list and how to build the music box his head, now he just needed the pieces, and he needed to steal them.

XXXXXXXNOW TO MAKE ITXXXXXXX

It had been a week sense the dance, Shadow, so far, had gotten the bronze, and the steel, surprisingly there was an abundance of metal on this space colony, but it all was used up, so shadow had to go pawn off people or call in favors, it took a lot of finding, but he was doing good.

shadow's hands were covered in bandages, despite his ultimate lifeform-ness, he still pricked his fingers, Shadow was now scoring the ark for the last things he needed, paint, and a huge block of wood, and carving tools, as well as a saw to cut the wood, and he had to make it, well he did make the music part, it was completed, that's why his hands where bandaged under his gloves.

"Shadow! How are you?" Maria ran up and shadow flinched, he was in the middle of thought, this has happened so many times this week, maria seemed withdrawn from him, probably from that stupid boy she was spending time with.

"fine, how are you and your _friend_?" shadow put emphasis on the friend, sense shadow was her true friend, not the brown idiot.

"his name is Seiichiro, shadow, his dad helped build the ark along with Gerald, he's really nice, you should meet him" she said, and for the past times this happened, I said the same "no"

"shadow, he is not like the other people, he is going to join the bioweapons/ experiment group, as well as me, so you two will have to get friendly" she said

"as you are getting _Friendly _with him?" shadow said crossing his arms, Maria bust into red, shadow said "sorry" quietly before turning on his heel and skating away,

"Shadow" Maria said, putting her hand on her heart "why are you cold? Is it seiichiro?" Maria sighed and turned back to go to her room

XXXXXXXXXXX

"grrrr…." Shadow growled in frustration as he search every square centimeter of the stupid space colony, he was exploring again, searching for something to use, then he bumped into someone, who shadow just stood, the person flew back, flipped and landed on his feet and hands "ow!" shadow looked up to see the boy standing again, he had brown hair, with grey highlights running through his hair, much like shadow, and brown eyes nearing black, he had a black sweatshirt on and black pants, he had a smell on him, shadow couldn't place it

"Wood, I've been carving wood, being in a metal space colony means you don't smell it much" He said, "oops, I forgot, my name is Seiichiro, and your name is?" the boy asked

"Wood?" shadow asked

"So your name is wood? Nice to mee-"

"No! My name is shadow"

"ah, so you're the hedgehog, I'm honored to meet you" he bowed

"yes, you too, but I have a question" shadow said, he always walked to the answer, so he might as well try

"yes?" he said

"well, you see, I need wood to… um-"

"to make something for Maria, you truly love her, don't you?" shadow was shocked he showed his emotions so easily "I know what love is" he said, then turned and started walking away from shadow "if you want the wood and the carving tools, saws and other necessary items, fallow me" shadow skated up to him, he was a little taller than shadow,

"why are you helping me?" shadow asked, and Seiichiro didn't turn to face him, he just crossed his arms much like shadow

"because I don't love Maria, I love someone else" he said matter of fact, "and I believe that love goes through all and is the most important thing everyone, animal, experiment, or human could have, besides, It makes men save the world against crazy odds, why wouldn't I want that power?" he continues with a shrug "so that's why, now turn here" they got into a room that his smell of wood came from, there was blocks and blocks of it, Seiichiro walked up to a rack of carving tools, grabbed a few and went to a table where a block of wood sat on, he pulled a chair over to it "here, this is my special place, no one will bother you here except me"

"Thank you, Seiichiro….good luck" shadow said

"heh, we both need it, so good luck" Seiichiro turned and walked to the door, shadow sat down on the chair, then turned and asked

"who do you like, sense you know who I like" Shadow asked

"let me say this, you're not the only experimental subject in the bioweapons division" seiichiro said and went out of the room with shutting the room with a dim click

XXXXXXXXX  
>next chapter coming soon, and another thing, the other experiments aren't that important, why, you'll see.<p>

"_as long as you fight, I exist"_

-strife152


	5. movement four: promise

Looooooonnnnggg series, I thought it would be three, but was a lot longer, sorry for the wait. Final movement now!

XXXXXX

Shadow sighed as he looked around the dim room after seiichiro had left, he had chaos controlled back to his room and grabbed the music part of the music box and everything he needed, as well as looked up if there was any other experiments in his division, without hacking he found there was three others, one active, two in status, the active one was of no means to him

Good, no competition

so he went back to the wood room and cut the block of wood and cut the four sides, he screwed them together with a screwdriver in the cupboards in the room, he cut the bottom, then he noticed something, the saw was heavily diamond tipped, every cutting object was

"The wood is metallic based" seiichiro stated from behind shadow, he twirled around on his chair and looked at him "Gerald's invention, has the same properties, feel, as wood, but has the density and deteriorating speed of metal, so that's why everything is so tough"

"Great, thank you, even better" shadow smirked, using Gerald's things against himself, perfect

"Sorry, I was just checking in, later shadow" seiichiro shut the door with a metallic clunk as he left

Shadow spun in his chair and thought, and he decided to use the hinges and a metal turn clasp for the bottom, in case he needed to fix it, so with the four sides screwed in, the bottom on, he screwed in the music box parts, so now he needed just to do some more, shadow put a switch on the top of the box so that it will only play when it is opened, then he put a small metal pole with a spin gear on it, connected it to the turning spring, then made a part to cover it, screwed it on, the drilled a hole, then put another small metal pole, now the people who are dancing on the top will dance when the music plays, shadow then made the top of the box (I mention he is doing this all by hand? Nothing automatic, he is just that good) screwed the hinges to it, then put it on, he then remembered what was left, he grabbed the paints, painted it half black half blue, then blue on the inside, he grabbed a small guilt edged mirror, he stole, of course, then he screwed that into the top cover, he then set the music box down, he checked his internal clock, then the real clock, it was 3 am, he came in here at nine o clock, seiichro had checked in at ten o clock, it has been six hours of work! Shadow sighed and teleported to his room, jumped onto the bed and went to sleep cold,

XSHADOWISABOSSS!X

"no, you will not, I will do this for you"

"No! I have to do every aspect!"

"I am the master woodcarver, not you" seiichiro and shadow where arguing, shadow had one part left, he wanted to make a statue of himself and Maria dancing, but seiichiro wanted to make it to help, shadow was adamant to say no,

"no" shadow said angrily

"fine then" seiichiro said angrily, he walked up and set his palm, directly on top of his head, all of a sudden years of woodcarving and painting experienced flashed through his head roughly, seiiichiro turned "have fun, idiot, good luck on your own now, bye" he shut the door and left, he went to a real piece of wood he stole and grabbed the wood, grabbed a carver, and went to work, shadow didn't have time to think on what Seiichiro had did, because his mind was focused solely on the task ahead of him, his hands moved without him making them, it felt like five minutes before he had it fully carved, in reality, it took five hours, it was noon, shadow then grabbed a paint case in the corner of the room he didn't notice before, then he took the paintbrushes and went to work, his hands flew out of his own accord, making the small details only a master paint could ever notice, he painted the base coat for the entire wood their responsive colors, then grabbed other paints and mixed them until he got the correct color for shadows fur and colored him, only the spots that where black, he left the color, then grabbed more and made the blue for her dress, then went to work, he made a white ruffle on the side of the dress, so Maria looked like a princess, like she deserves to be, shadow then went to work mixing colors, painting, then once he was done, he got incredible small brushed from a hidden compartment in the box like it was instinct to shadow, then did the painstakingly small details he would have had no patience to do himself,

after what seemed like forever, he set it down to dry, then closed his eyes, all the experience left him abruptly, making him feel empty, so shadow busied himself cleaning up, then he went over to the music box, it was half filled with the music part, the other half was for the people, he looked at the two lifelike figures he painted, he went over and picked it up, the figures looked like they were real and dancing, shadow set the two figures connected by the turntable, then screwed them onto the turn pole, the winded the back with the key, shut the top, then opened it, the music box turned on and played, Maria's song played throughout the room, shadow shut it and the music stopped, the put the clasp on, then teleported back to his room, he checked the clock, six o clock, shadow had barely eaten, only very quick, so he set the box on his bed, ate a quick snack (he stole it out of the mess hall) it was six thirty, Maria would usually be in their room right now, so shadow grabbed the box

"time to see if this works, god be on my side" shadow said out loud

XXITS THE FINAL FLASHBACK SCENE!XXXX

Shadow was right, Maria was watching earth, as usual, the sun was halfway to the other side of earth, sunset, Shadow held the box behind his hands, felt that it was the right moment, and entered the room

"hey, Maria" shadow said sheepishly Maria turned quickly and stared at him in shock

"shadow! Are you okay?" Maria exclaimed "I haven't seen you in 10 days!" she said quickly, then she got quieter "did something happen?" she asked fearfully, just like Maria, shadow thought, freaking out.

"nope, I'm fine, In fact better than fine, sense your around" shadow said, Maria looked shocked, shadow was himself sense he had the courage to say that "Maria… I sorry for avoiding you, so here is my sorry present" shadow took the box out from behind him, she took it gingerly "open it" shadow said, Maria opened it and gasped, the music box played her song and it echoed throughout the room

"its…beautiful" she said in awe

"thank you, made it by hand myself" shadow said, Maria smiled beautifully

"then I forgive you

"but that's not all I'm saying" shadow commented, cutting through the music, he took the box in his hands and shut it, cutting off the music, "I am also saying…." He took a breath "that I love you" shadow confessed, Maria's eyes went wide, shadow looked down in embarrassment, the sun in their window had just slipped to the other side of the earth, leaving them in a moonlit room "I-if you don't like me.. y-you-"

"shadow" she interrupted him, shadow looked up to her, she had tears in her eyes "…I love you too" Maria commented quietly, shadow smiled, he finally knew who is his other empty half, finally he is whole.

"Maria…" shadow set down the music box, then held her shoulders "thank you" shadow said and kissed Maria on the lips, he had kissed her check many times before, but this was different, Maria was shock at first but went into the kiss herself, it only lasted for a few seconds, but that was all they needed to convey their emotions, shadow went back and took a deep breath and hugged her around the waist, Maria hung her arms around his neck

"shadow" Maria asked, shadow smiled gratefully at the girl that was now his

"yes?" he replied

"promise me something" she said and closed her eyes and snuggled into his shoulder, "that we, no matter what, will always be together" Maria confessed

"that's a promise, I will be with you forever" shadow promised and they closed their eyes, just happy and at peace just being with each other.

XXXXXXXXXXX

End final movement


	6. conclusion: hope

Now to the prologue, sorry if the end of that last chapter seemed too rushed, tell me if it is.

XXXXXX now it's back to the present:

Shadow was crying as he held the music box open, the music letting his tears finally come out for her. "Maria, I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry" he said between the sobs that rocked him, then with a small thunk the bottom of the music box fell out from under the clasps, on top of the bottom was a folded page of paper, labeled : to shadow

Shadow opened the letter and read it with tear stained eyes, it read like this

"_these hands, filled with power to kill and destroy, could still stroke the hair of the woman he loves gently_

_These hands, that could have destroyed the world with hate and anger, showed mercy instead and saved the world_

_The hands, which could bring about evil, could still make this beautiful thing_

_This music box,_

_And shadow, you never failed me._

_I love you_

_Maria Robotnick"_

Shadows tears stopped when he read this, Maria still was with him, and no matter how evil he thinks he is, he will do good

"Maria, my promise is not over, you are still with me, and I will protect your people now" shadow said with commitment and stood up, he set the music box on the bed and walked to the door

"maria…thank you" the door shut with a quiet click

XXXXXXXXXXX end prologue


End file.
